Treating hydrocarbon oils



Jan. 3, 1928.

E. R. woLcoT'r A 'TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed oct. 1, 1924 @noauto z@gi 1&5 @www Patented Jan. 3, 192s. l

UNITED STATES -Parri-:NT oFFlcE.

EDSON RQWOLCOTT, OF.4 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE TEXAS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONOF DELA- WARE.

:casarme HYnnocAaBoN oILs.

application mea october 1, 1924. serial No. 740,905.

This invention relates'to the conversion of higher boiling hydrocarbonsinto lowerl boiling'ones and has in view particularly the production ofgasoline and other similar products. l

Broadly andgenerally my invention contemplates a method of treatment inwhich the oil is subjected to the disrupt-ive action produced by anexplosion or combustion of 1G a ra idly burning material. In lpracticingthe lnventionv the 'oil to be converted is charged into a confined spaceand a suitable combustible material contiguous or in close proximit tothe oil is red whereby the oil is su jected to high ressure and heatsuicient to effect molecu ar decomposition. i In present methods ofcracking it is necessary to subject the oil to crackin temperatures andpressures for pro onged periods of -time in order to produce the desireddecomposition. In accordance with my invention the-oil is subjected tosudden explosion with minimum heating thereby avoiding the production ofexcess quantities of carbon or coke and permanent gas. In the preferredmethod of carrying out the invention the oil is subjected to extremelyhigh pressure produced by the rapid burning or explosion of aisuitablecombustible gas for a comparatively short time, for example momentarilyand the resultantproducts are then sud enlyexpanded.v In one method ofpracticing the invention a suitable combustible material, such ashydrocarbon gas, is introduced into a combustion chamber provided with asparkplug or other suitable means for ignition. An oil 'chamber isdisposed adjacent the combustion chamber and the oil is retained in theoil chamber by means of frangible partitions formed of thin metal, oilpaper or other similar material. The force of the explosion or ra idcombustion disrupts the partitions an the heated combustion products areforced into violent contact with the oil,

subjecting it to high pressure and completin molecular decom sition. Itis preferab e to operate continuously, means being provided forintroducin new partitions or closures after' each exp osion. yThus afterthe oil has been passed into the confined space the combustible materialis ignited, the explosion follows and the oil is projected into. anexpansion chamber. The means for feeding the partitions, the means forignitthat an expansion or disti lation chamber' 10 is provided in whichare mounteda plurality of U tubes 11.v For introducing the oil to beconverted .a pump 12 andchiarging line 13 having-a plurality of branchlines 14 which lead to the several U tubes, is provided. Each branchline 14: is equippe with a check valve 15. VAssociated with each UA tubeis a. combustion -chamber 16 -provided with a spark plug 17 or suitableignition means. The spark plugs lare in circuit with a suitable sourceof electrical energy and it is preferable to provide interrupters ortiming means for controlling l the ignition in the several combustionchambers. Each combustion chamber is equipped with a pipe 18 adapted forsupplying a suitable combustible iuid, such as a hydrocarbon gas. Mea-nsis also provided for admitting air to the-combustion chamber or, ifdesired, the proper explosive mixture ofv air or gas may be admittedthrough the pipe 18.

The oil chambers 11 may be provided with restricted outlets 19 in orderto assist in obtaining the desired high pressure in the treatingchambers. In the apparatus shown the expansionv chamber 10 alsoconstitutes a distilling chamber and is provided with a vaporline 20leading to a suitable fractionating or preliminary condensing means 21,having a liquid or condensate line 22 anda vapor line 23 whichterminates in a condenser coil 24. A receiver 25 is provided forcollecting the condensate obtained from the condenser 24. The still 10may be provided with a draw-0E line 26.

In practicing the invention with the ap-y paratus shown the oil isintroduced into the several U chambers 11, The oil may be fedcontinuously or suitable timing mechanism,` 5'

working synchronously with thev timing mechanism for the ignition means17, may be Aprovided to control the flow. When the explosion or 'rapidburnin occurs in a given combustion chamber 16 e products of combustionare forced violently in contact with the oil in the pipe or chamber 11thereby4 subjecting the oil to extremely high ressurc and a temperaturesufficient to pro uce decomposition. The oil is then expanded by beingforced through the restricted outlet into the chamber 10. Thevaporizingproducts are taken off through the vapor line 20 into thefractionating means 21 wherein certain lower boiling point products arecondensed. These products are drawn off through the pipe 21 and may beutilized as desired. The vapors passing from the separator orfractionating `means'21 are passed to the condenser coil 24 and thegasoline or other volatile product desired is collected as a, condensatein the receiver 25. y

Itis'apparent that various methods of operation and types of apparatusmay be employed in the practice of the invention. One advantageousmethodis to feed the oil to the combustion or treating chamber through aporous medium. Thus a cylindrical treatin g chamber may be providedhaving'about its internal periphery an annular mass of po rous materialonto which the oil to be converted is fed. The combustible gas is tiredin the interior f the Chamber and thus operates upon the oil feedingthrough the po' rous material.`

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention' has been set forthin connection4 with apparatus having a particular construction andarrangement of parts and mode of operation, it is obvious that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein, while securing to agreater or less extent some or all of the benefits of theinvention,

without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, onlysuch limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. The process of converting higher boiling hydrocarbons into lowerboiling -ones that comprises introducing a combustible mixture and aquantity of oil into a chamber, firing said mixture under pressure tomomentarily subject the oil to a cracking tem;

erature under high pressure and then subjectingthe oil to expansion to'effect distilpressure to cause the formation of lower boilinghydrocarbons and then discharging the converted oil from said confinedspace.

3. The process of convert-ing higher boiling hydrocarbons into lowerboiling ones `that comprises introducing thev oil to be treated into aplurality of pools` exploding gas under compression in a plurality ofpockets contiguous to said pools to momentarily 'subject the severalpools of oil to cracking temperatures under. su eratmos.

pheric pressures and discharging t e resultant products into an enlargedchamber.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this th day of September,1924.

. EDSON R. WOLCOTT.

